Winemaker Notes
Black currants, plums, and a hint of mint. Notes of tea and spice. Medium bodied, fresh, with firm tannins that warrant further cellaring.
Almost any red meat, especially served rare, is going to be a good match. Most hamburgers and empanadas will also pair well, depending on the other ingredients. Cheesy, grilled polenta or Portobello mushrooms with butter and garlic. Hard cheeses such as cheddar, mimolette or gouda.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Red and black currants, mulberries, bramble leaves, peppermint, spice box and peppercorns on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm, well-integrated tannins. Sleek and classically styled with excellent balance.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Touching the Pacific in the west and stretching up into the Andes on its eastern side, the Rapel Valley is one of the more substantial fine red wine producing regions of Chile and contains both the Colchagua Valley in its south and west and the Cachapoal in its north and east. While it is recognized for its exceptional warm-climate reds, the region does produce some fine Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc on its coastal side.
Some of the country’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Rapel’s Andean foothills—with significant individualized smaller zones already identified. Soils here are mixtures of loam, clay, and sand; Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot are the most prolific varieties throughout the region.